A mum has documented her struggle to breastfeed and the touching moment her daughter latched on for the first time.
The anonymous mum shared her story on Breastfeeding Mama Talk on Tuesday 23 May and detailed the heartache she went through.
“I’ve always wanted that special breastfeeding, skin-to-skin, first-touch bond,” she wrote on Facebook. “I had my mind set and nothing was going to stop me from breastfeeding my child.
“After Charlotte was born, I immediately tried to connect with her through breastfeeding, to let her know that her mama is ready to bond and love her through sweet breastmilk. But it was harder than I anticipated.”
The mum explained that her daughter was breathing too fast and wasn’t receiving enough oxygen, so couldn’t feed properly. She was taken to the NICU.
“I felt completely helpless and started crying,” the mum wrote. “I started blaming myself, I kept replaying everything in my mind, retracing the moments to detect what went wrong.
“I wanted my child with me in my arms. I wanted those skin-to-skin moments.
“Once we were allowed to enter the NICU she was tangled in wires and tubes - wires to monitor her heart, pulse and breathing rates, tubes for oxygen and feeding. I attempted to breastfeed her again, but she couldn’t latch on properly.”
The mum was told her daughter had an underbite and a tongue tie, making it extremely hard for her to breastfeed. Doctors clipped her tongue to make it easier, but the mum said the stress caused her breastmilk to decline.
“It took at least 10 nurses and two lactation nurses to try and help my baby latch on my breast,” she wrote. “Days later still in the hospital, I cried because I couldn’t feed my starving baby.
“I honestly wanted to give up and switch to formula. But my supportive fiancé convinced me to try again. I did - then something magical happened.
“She latched on, I cried out of happiness. Now she is an active, perfectly healthy seven-month-old, booby-loving baby.”
Other mums who have gone through similar problems breastfeeding shared their own stories on the post.
“Such an amazing story,” one mum wrote. “My son just had his tongue tie clipped a few weeks ago and I have had mastitis five times.
“I never gave up even through the pain and he’ll be one on Wednesday. I never thought I’d make it this long breastfeeding.”
Another wrote: “I was in a very similar situation with my little one. After 28 days in the NICU, she finally latched on and got the hang of it.
“It was a hard journey but well worth it.”